However, the former Liverpool Chief Scout believes that leading scorer Danny Ings might not be the only high profile exit at the club this summer.

Sean Dyche

Dyche, who was in a coaching role with Watford while McParland was head of the scouting system at Vicarage Road, remains the bookmakers’ favourite to succeed Dick Advocaat at the Stadium of Light, with a selection of the betting conglomerates offering odds as short as 5/4.

But the club’s latest addition to the shake-up in backroom staff is confident that Dyche is going nowhere, even though the rumours haven’t come as a surprise.

“When you have good people at the club there will always be someone looking,” said McParland.

“He’s done so well and he’s made a real name for himself so I’m not surprised about the links.

He was a big part in me coming here and I’m really hopeful that we’ll both start off the season together

Frank McParland

“But I know he’s happy here. He was a big part in me coming here and I’m really hopeful that we’ll both start off the season together.

“It was Sean who made the initial call to me, and I went to have a coffee with him and Ian Woan.”

He added: “I’m really looking forward to working with him. His attention to detail is very, very good and that’s what you need at the top level.

“I like his rapport with the players and staff. He’s basically a good person and my sort of lad. He’s a proper football person.

“He’s done loads for this club and he wants to do a lot more. Burnley is such a historic club and he’s really keen to push it on and do the best that he can for the place.”

With Danny Ings departing the club this summer, as the striker’s contract expires at the end of the month, McParland will be tasked with finding the right man to step in to the England Under 21 international’s boots.

But he doesn’t expect outgoings to stop Ings, who scored 11 goals in his first season in the Premier League. With the club powerless to prevent Kieran Trippier’s departure should one of a number of suitors trigger his highly publicised £3.5m release clause, McParland is consigned to losing the full back too.

With Aston Villa, Spurs and Stoke City reportedly among the clubs expressing an interest in the 24-year-old, McParland said: “Obviously we’re going to lose a couple of top players.

“We’re definitely going to lose one by the looks of it and there may be a chance of another one going out.”

McParland, who engineered Andre Gray’s move from Luton Town to Brentford after the Bees lost leading scorer Clayton Donaldson to Birmingham City last summer, added: “It’s not impossible to replace Danny but it’s difficult.

“He’s a top player and that’s testament to everyone at this club and to Danny himself.

“The manager needs to take credit for playing him every week and for having a team that will create chances for him, but I’m sure he’s going to be a good player wherever he goes and it’s going to be difficult to replace him.

“We have to recruit well and I’ll be working very hard with the boss and everyone at the club to try to get some decent ones in.”